The evening world., 1887-12-12
OPPOSED BY THE OLD ROADS.
THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY FIGHTING HARD
AGAINST HEAVY ODDS.

The North and East River Railway Com
pany is to operate in Fulton and West streets,
connecting the Fulton ferry-house with the
ferry at the foot Of Chambers street, North
River.
The cars, twenty in number, are now stand
ing in the shops of the Drills, the Philadel-
phia cor builders. Each car is supplied with
an electric motor, which is attached to the
axle and operates in conjunction with an
electric current which is concealed in O con-
duit six inches wide and about as deep lying
midway between the tracks. The cars are of
ordinary size.
The electric engines which will generate
ing in Burling slip. The cars will make trips
q minute apart. The company has contracted
to pay TO the city IS per cent. of the gross
earnings of the road.
under franchises from the city pay 8 or 8
per cent Of their earnings to the city, except
Jacob Sharp's Broadway road, which agreed
precipitately, after the people were aroused
The promoters Of the Fulton street road
expected to have it in operation ere this, but
Gen. Newton's order obliged the company to
stop work, which necessitated the tearing up
of Fulton street, on Dec. /, to resume March
1, 1888.
Under the law, when any duly f%ranchised
road desires to run its cars over another CON-
pany's track, it may obtain the right to do
30 by applying to a court for the appoint
ment of q commission to settle the amount of
money that it must pay to that road, provided
the section of the track to be used is not
longer than 1000 feet.
If 1t must operate on O section of another's
track longer than 1000 feet, it can do so only
by coming to Engagement with the old COM
pany whose lines it would use.
There are four roads whose track the Full
ton street road must use. The new road
street line from Fulton ferry to William
street. That is something over one thousand
feet. The officers Of the new road have been
entirely unable to negotiate with the
Blocker street company.
There is no legal manner in which they can
compel this company to come to some agree
ment, except through an act of the Legisla-
ture.
Tn track of the Dry Dock line must be
used for 800 feet from st. Paul's Church west
in Fulton street. The electric cars must run
over 200 feet of the track of the Ninth ave.
nue. line in Fulton street, from Greenwich to
of the Belt Line track in West street, from
Fulton to Chambers street, to be used.
Commissions will arrange between the new
company and these three latter named COM
panies, but the Blocker street line seems to
be an insurmountable obstacle to its progress
Just now.
The Blocker street line stops on the west
side of Sout street. The new line will cross
that street and drop It's passengers in the
ferry-house. This is one reason why there is
no special welcome to the new conner from
the old stager. There Is q greater grievance,
however, against the new conner, which is
common to all the old companies IN the city.
The Cantor bill, now q law, provides that
every street railway shall pay o specific part
Of its earnings to the city as bonus for the
privilege of using its streets. The highest
percentage paid under the bill is 8 per cent.
but if the Legislature can force them to pay
this amount 1t can force them to pay any
East River road is permitted to complete its
city that the roads which have been operating
for years and pocketing enormous dividends
on watered stock are amply able to and
should in all justice pay larger percentages
for their monopolies, for the new road will
pay 80 per cent. more than any of them.
For this reason the old roads have done all
in their power to prevent the new COMPANY
from completing its line, and will succeed
unless the Legislature comes to its rescue
with q bill providing for an adjustment of
differences between roads similarly situated.
The promoters of the new road hope for
this relief. which may be reached in various
indirect ways, and confidently expect to be
ready for operations early next spring. They
have been obliged to lay their tracks on Sat
urday nights and Sunday, but it is all COM
plete except where they must use other
tracks, and at Broadway, where the crossings
with the Broadway line are not yet set.